Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Individuals with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) go through the day filled with exaggerated worry and tension, even though there is little or nothing to provoke it. They anticipate disaster and are overly concerned about health issues, money, family problems or difficulties at work. Sometimes just the thought of getting through the day produces anxiety.

Generalized anxiety disorder is diagnosed when a person worries excessively about a variety of everyday problems for at least 6 months. People with GAD can’t seem to get rid of their concerns, even though they usually realize that their anxiety is more intense than the situation warrants. They can’t relax, startle easily, and have difficulty concentrating. Often they have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep. Physical symptoms that often accompany the anxiety include fatigue, headaches, muscle tension, muscle aches, difficulty swallowing, trembling, twitching, irritability, sweating, nausea, lightheadedness, having to go to the bathroom frequently, feeling out of breath and hot flashes.

When their anxiety level is mild, people with generalized anxiety disorder can function socially and hold down a job. Although they don’t avoid certain situations as a result of their disorder, people with GAD can have difficulty carrying out the simplest daily activities if their anxiety is severe.

GAD affects about 6.8 million American adults, including twice as many women as men. The disorder develops gradually and can begin at any point in the life cycle, although the years of highest risk are between childhood and middle age. There is evidence that genes play a modest role in GAD.

Other anxiety disorders, depression, or substance abuse often accompany GAD, which rarely occurs alone. GAD is commonly treated with medication or cognitive-behavioral therapy, but co-occurring conditions must also be treated using the appropriate therapies.

New York and Pennsylvania Psychologists and Therapists at Behavioral Medicine Associates provide neuropsychological evaluation and treatment of work related injury and illness as part of the New York & Pennsylvania State Workers’ Compensation Program and car accident victims as part of the no-fault insurance system. We have offices located throughout the New York City Metropolitan Area (Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, Bronx and Staten Island), Long Island (Nassau and Suffolk Counties), Westchester County (White Plains), Rockland County (Nanuet and Spring Valley), Orange County (Newburgh), Erie County (Buffalo), Niagara County (Niagara Falls) and Ulster County (Kingston and Middletown). In Pennsylvania we have offices in Delaware County (Glenolden & Chester), Northeast and South Philadelphia, Berks County (Wyomissing & Reading) and Lehigh County (Allentown).